Sled attachment for automobiles.



F. F. STADIG.

SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION IILBD APR.25, 1912.

1,070,301 Patented Aug. 12, 1913 7 SHEETS-8HEET 1.

O in o *2 I Q )l k0 T\ O 2 I 1 I Ex i m L Q \\9 23 I l W '1 E 1 WITNESSES INVENTOI? l I ATTORNEYS IF.F.STADIG.

SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1912.

1,070,301 Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES NJ. M

INVENTOR E'd/Zgzl? Z? 55646259 A'TTOR/VEYS F. P. STADIG.

SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APB..25, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lm mon Z hmczls' 1 78202 BY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 12, 1913? P.F.STADIG. SLED ATTACHMENT. FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOATION FILED 11.25. 1912.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' Ll INVENTUR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS P. F. STADIG.

SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25. 1912.

1,070,301. v Pa ented Aug.12,1913.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

A TTORIVEVS F. F. STADIG. SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1912. 1,070,301 Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

7 SHEETS-SHBET e.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES %J. Mm

P. F. STADIG. SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

INVENTOR rancz's FJZacZi y M ATTORNEYS WITNESSES N- J.

FRANCIS FERDINAND STADIG, OF ST. FRANCIS, MAINE.

SLED ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters mm.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

Application filed Ap1i125, 1912. Serial 1:. 693,044.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, FRANCIS F. STADIG, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St. Francis, in the county of Aroostook and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Sled Attachment for Automobiles of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is especially designed to provide a sled, and propelling mechanism therefor attachable to standard makes of automobiles without altering the car, other than to remove the wheels, whereby to convert the car into a practical motor sled.

Objects of my invention are to provide an attachment of the character referred to, comprising runners that sustain the weight of the car, and propelling mechanisms inde' pendent of the runners.

.Fu-rther objects are to provide independent propelling mechanisms. ateach side of the. car adapted to accommodate themselves to inequalities of the road, independently of each other; to provide a propelling mechanism in which the traction will be automatically proportionate to the pull; and to provide propelling mechanism improved in various structural and functional respects.

The distinguishing features of my invention, and the important structural elements characterizing the preferred embodiment illustrated as examples will be fully e'x planned inthe specific description hereinafter to be given.

Reference is to be had to the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters. of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure-1 is a side elevationof a sled attacli-nient embodying my invention, and showing the same applied to an auto car having a counter-shaft with side chain drive; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the said attachment removed from the car; Fig. 3- is an enlarged detail side elevation of the rear runner and propelling mechanism; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on about the line 4-4J of Fig. 2; Fig. 5'is a cross section taken on about the line 5--5 of Fig. 3; Fig, 6 is a detail cross sectional view of the sprocket chain and its traction blades, the section be ing taken on about the line 6-6 of Fig. 7 Fig. 'Z- is a detail side elevation of a portion of the chain; Fig, 8 is a side elevation of the rear sled and its propelling mechanism slightly modified to adapt the same to an auto having a rear axle drive; Fig. 9' is a plan View of the attachment shown in Fig. 8,

including portions of the car; and Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation taken on about the line 10-40 of Fig. 9, the sprocket chain and wheels, and some other parts being omitted. Referring particularly to the form of the invention shown Figs. 1 to 7 the attachment comprises runners 10 having knees 11 hinged by any suitable form of clip or shackle 12 (Fig. 4a) to a cross bar or rear axle 13 o! the car, or to any equivalent bar adapted to replace the axle, the bar or axle being held by the shackle or clip 14 to the rear springs 15 of the car, the arrangement. being such that the weight of the car will be imposed upon the runners and be sustained by the latter.

The propelling attachment comprises thrust bars 16, 17, hung at their forward ends 18, 19, on the counter-shaft 20, or

otherwise hung from any convenient member of the car. Each thrust bar desirably is made up in the form of a frame consisting of side arms 21, 22, the respective side arms; being united by cross bars 23 at their rear emls, and bracedby diagonal braces 24, 25'. The side arms 21 and 22 are given any lateral deflection necessary to reach the proper point onthe counter=sh aft 20 and clear any of the frame members or operative parts. The thrust ha rs, designated generally by the numerals 16,. 17, incline from the coimter-shaft 20 in a downward and rearward direction, and: mount attheir rear ends compensating levers 26,. each com "sing two spaced longitudinal members 2 fulcruined on a stud shaft 28 that extends lmrizontalxly from the outer side of each thrust bar 1:6, 1'2, the shaft being mounted in bearings 28. The levers 26 carry on the rear ends: of their arms 27, idler sprocket wheels 29,. which may be secured to the ends of the levers by brackets 30 on the respective arms 27, and at their forward ends said levers carry traction: sprocket wheels 3L A sprocket chain 32ru-ns over the idlersprocket 29 over a drive sprocket wheel 33 on the counter-shaft 20, and beneath the traction sprocket 3J3. The upper run of the chain being the working run and therefore tight,

it will be obvious that the pulling strain on: the chain will tend to lift the idler maintain the same distance around the sprockets when the levers rock up and down sprocket wheel 29, and therefore tend to lift the lever 26 bodily, but as the bodily lifting of the levers is resisted by the thrust bars 16, 17 the levers will tend to rock upward at their rear ends and downward at their front ends, so that the levers have a compensatin action and the front traction wheel 31 wil be forced downward in proportion to the pull exerted on the rear sprocket wheel 29 by the pull on the top run of the chain, and therefore the traction of the chain against snow and ice will be proportionate to the load. Furthermore, since the lower ends of the thrust'bars are below the center of longitudinal strain thereon exerted through the pull on the rear sprocket wheel, any movement of the thrust bars must be downward, tending to force downward bodily, the whole traction unit, consisting of the thrust bars, levers, idler sprocket 29, traction sprocket 31, and the appurtenances hereinafter described carried thereby, and the sprocket chain, the downward bodily movement of the unit thus contributing to increase thetraction in pro ortion to the load, or the power exerte to drive the vehicle forward..

Because of the rockin movement of the levers in their described compensating action, and the consequent change of the relation between the sprocket wheels 29 and 31, I provide an equalizing device so as to in passing over an uneven road. The equal izing device comprises a sliding bearing 34 for the shaft 35 of the traction sprocket 31, said bearing being carried on a longitudinal bar 36 provided at its ends with hangers 37, whereby to permit the shaft .35 and its sprocket wheel 31 to shift longitudinally along the lever. The slidin of the bearing frame 36 is controlled by a shifting diagonal tie rod 38, fpivoted at its lower end on the shaft 35 o the traction sprocket 31, and pivoted at its rear upper end, as at 39, to the upper end of a standard 40, which is secured by its foot or lower end 41 in any suitable manner to the lower rear end of the thrust bar 16 or 17, it being understood that.

there are compensating devices as described, for the propelling attachment at each side of the car. The diagonal rod 38 of the equalizing device is provided with a turnbuckle 38, to adjust its length and therefore to adjust the distance between the sprocket 'Wheels'29, 31; also there is, refera 1y, a diagonal brace 40 between t e side arm 21 of the thrust bar and the standard 40.

Between the idler sprocket 29 and the traction sprocket 31, a guide shoe 42 is provided, beneath which the chain 32 runs and against the under side of which the chain rollers 43 contact. The shoe 42 is suspended from the frame 36 by a han or 44, so that said shoe will move forwargly and backwardly in response to the shifting movements of the said frame 36. The rear end of the shoe is guided by having a sliding connection with the foot 45 of a dependin guide 46, the upper end of which is secure at any convenient point to a lever arm 27. Adjacent to the shoe 42, and in the front thereof, rollers 47 are provided, beneath which the chain runs, said rollers being mounted on a shaft 48 which is mounted in hangers 49, 50, carried by the ends of the sliding bearing frame 36.

. As seen best in Figs. 6 and 7, the chain includes besides the rollers 43, links 51, 52, the outer links 51 having integral therewith, at the under side, blocks running at the sides of the rollers 43, the said blocks having runner shoes 54 secured thereto as by bolts 55, said shoes having on their outer faces the transverse, perpendicular traction blades 56 to enter the ice or frozen snow. Desirably the shoes 54 have on their back faces transverse rounded beads 57 that seat in corresponding grooves 58 in the blocks 53.

The tractor-propelling units, as described, it will be observed, are freely suspended by the front swinging connection of the thrust bars 16, 17, and therefore the said units are gravitationally mounted. with the tractor-units a manually controlled traction-increasing device is provided, including compression springs 60, to resist the bodily rising of the units. The springs 60 seat at their lower ends on the thrust cross bars 16, 17, preferably on the rear cross bars 23, from which bars retaining pins 61 rise, and extend upward beyond the upper ends of the springs, as seen best in Fig. 4. The upper ends of the springs abut against an arm 62 of a bell-crank lever 63, the upper end of which lever is connected with a rod 64 that extends forwardly and has any suitable connection with a hand lever 65, arranged Within convenient reach of the operator. The connection between the end of the rod- 64 may be through the medium of a crank arm 66 mounted on a shaft 67 on which the hand lever 65 is so cured. Thus by throwing the lever 65 to exert a forward pull on the connecting rod 64,the bell-crank lever 62, 63, can be rocked to cause the arm 62 of the said lever to exert a downward pressure on the springs 60, and thus exert a downward pressure on the tractor-units to increase the traction of the chain against the snow. The crank lever 62, 63, is mounted on a cross bar or rod 63*, which is supported from the axle or bar 13 by brackets 63", and in addition to the men- In connection tioned crank lever, there is a crank arm 62' and arranged similarly to the described spring 60, so that there is a compression spring on each of the thrust bars 16, 17.

As seen best in the plan view (Fig. 2) the rear idler sprocket wheel 29 may be provided with a brake drum 29 similar to the ordinary brake drumon standard. auto cars, and in practice a brake band (not shown} may be employed in connection with said drum, if desired. The brake illustrated in Fig. 4, comprises a verticalrocking dog 70, having a downwardly projecting hook 71 at its rear end, said dog being mounted intermediate its ends on a rock shaft 72, journaled on bracket 73 mounted .on the knee 11 of the runner, the forward end 74 of the dog being slotted as at 75, to receive a lateral engaging member 76 on a crank arm 77. There are two crank arms 77, as shown in Fig. 2, mounted on a rock shaft 78, and integral with one of said arms and constituting therewith a bell crank, is a second cranklarm 79 which engages with a connecting rod 79, extending forwardly and connected with a crank arm 80 which is mounted on a shaft 81 that carries the brake handle 82. Thus by throwing the handle 82, the dog may be made to dig into the road surface and thus brake the sled. The gear case of the car is indicated by thenumeral 90 and the chassis by the numeral 91. The described brake is simply given here as an example and is not claimed in this application.

The front sleds 92 may be mounted .in any suitable manner, an efficient plan be ing to hang the knees 93 from the front axle 94, by bearings 95 (Fig. 1) so that the usual steering devices employed will act to turn the runners. The plan'view (Fig. 2) indicates the usual steering rod 96, the arms 97, 98 of the steering knuckles, the coupling links 99 between the arms of the knuckles, and includes also a link 100, uniting the opposite runners of the front sled at the front.

Desirably there are mounted housing members or side fenders for the sprocket mechanism, preferably formed in two sections 101, 102, overlapping and secured together adjustably by a bolt 103 and wing not 104 or the like, the said fender sections being fastened respectively to a sliding part as the slide hanger 37, asby bolts 105 and wing nuts 1'06, and to the thrust bar on the lever, so that they may move relatively as the sprockets shift their positions.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the traction chain 32 extends in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined direction from the drive sprocket 33 on the counter-shaft 20, to the teeth of the traction sprocket 31, the effect of which is to give the chain, and with it the remainder of the propelling unit, a

tendency to ride over deep snow instead of-a tendency to dig downward and embed the chain in the snow.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and .10, the described parts are:

essentially the same as in the construction shown in the other figures, there being a variation only to adapt the described propelling unit to a car having a rear axle,

drive. In Figs. 8 to 10 the rear axle 110 from which the auto wheels have been removed, has fitted to it a driving sprocket .wheel 111, on which a drive chain 112 runs,

said chain passing also overa sprocket wheel 20* mounted on a shaft 114, which may have suitable bearings on a bracket 115 attachable to the chassis 91*. Shaft 114 has a second sprocket 20 which corresponds with the drive sprocket 33 on the shaft 20. The propelling chain 32 runs over the sprocket 20 and over an idler sprocket 29 corresponding with the sprocket 29. A traction sprocket 31 of each unit is mounted on the shaft 35* j ournaled in suitable boxes on slide frames 36, which are inserted against the under side of the lever arms 27*, said slide frames being carried by diagonal rods 38* of the sprocket equalizing device, and said diagonal rods being secured at their upper ends to the standard 40 corresponding with the standard 40, and secured at their lower forked ends to the rear ends of the thrust bars 16, 17 The lever arms 27 are mounted on stud shafts 28 projecting laterally from the rear ends of the thrust bars 16, 17, the said stud shafts being journaled in bearings 28 secured to the under side of the said lever arms 27. Advantageously, diagonal braces 40 extend from the standards 40" to the thrust bars 16*", 17. The traction chain 32 runs under rollers 47 between the sprockets 29, 31*, as in the vprevious construction. In the form shown in Figs. 8 to 10, however, the shoes 42 are carried by hangers 44, which depend from slides 116, on which are mounted bearings 117 for the shaft 118 that carries the idler sprockets 29 and said slides 116 are connected by links 119 with arms 40, depending from the stud shafts 28 The shoe 42 has guided movement at its front end heneath the heel of a foot 120 formed on a hanger bracket 121 and an additional guide shoe 122 is provided in each unit at the lower end of a hanger 123 that depends from the forward slide 36. I I

With the described construction, it will be seen that upon a tilting movement of the lever arms 27*, in response to the draft the chain notwithstanding the movement oi the rocking lever.

The compression springs 60 in the ar rangement shown. in Figs. 8 to 10, hear at their lower ends against the lateral arms S23 on the rear ends of the suspended thrust bars'lti, 17, and the crank arms 65?. exert a downward pressure on the upper ends of said springs in response to a pull on the rod 79, which is similar to the rod 79 pre-- viously described. The crank arms 62" are secured to 'a rock shaft 63, and one of said arms'has a lever arm 62 to constitute a bell-crank lever. Connection between the up er end of the arm 62 and the operating re 79 ma be eflected by an intermediate lever 63, ulcrumed intermediate its ends on a bracket 63, which is secured to the shaft or bar 13 which is shackled to springs 15 and on which shaft or bar the runners 10 are hung. The lever arm 62 of the bell crank has a stud 63 that moves in a slot 63 of the lever 63, in response to a pull on the rod 79.

It has been found that by giving the link 119 (Fig. 8) the right throw from its point of pivot on the arm 40, the sliding bearin frame 116 of the rear traction sprocket wil be su'fiicient to equalize the distance around the three sprocketscom "rised in the traction unit, notwithstanding t 1e rocking movement imparted to the track sprockets in passing over a rough road. It will be noted that the arm 40 is in fixed relation to the thrust bar 16. Thus it will be seen that the equalicing may be performed by the sliding1 bearing of the rear sprocket alone, t ereby making unnecessary the use of the sliding bearing of the front sprocket in this con struction should it be preferred to omit the front sliding bearing. If desired the sliding may be done by providing for the sliding of both front and rear s rocket bearings and thus adjusting or divi ing up the throw be tween the two.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent,--

1. A ropelling attachment for vehicles, comprising a pivotally mounted thrust bar, a frame mounted on said thrust bar rearward of its pivot and having rocking movement relatively to the said thrust bar, and

in addition having up and down bodily movement in response to the pivotal movement of the thrust bar, a propelling device mounted on said rocking frame andexerting its propelling force on the thrust bar through the medium of said rocking frame, and actuating means for the said device.

2. A propelling attachment for vehicles,

consisting of a traction unit comprising a.

thrust bar, a traction chain, and means for automatically a plying traction pressure on the chain accor mg to the load, sald means cbmprising a member engaged by the chain and responding to the pull exerted on the chain by its actuating means, and a mem ber exertm traction pressure on the chain and movab e with the member engaged by "the chain to press on the chain in proportion to the pull thereon.

'3. A propelling attachment for vehicles, consisting of a traction unit com risin means for securing it to the vehic e, sai

comprising a member engaged by the chain and responding to the pull exerted on the chain by its actuating means, and a member exert-in traction pressure on the chain and movab o with the member engaged By the chain to press on thechain in proportion to the pull thereon.

t. A propelling attachment for vehicles, comprising a thrust bar pivotally hung at a point forward of its rear end to permit up and down movement on its pivot, a vertically rocking lever fulcrumed on said thrust bar at a point rearward of the pivot of the thrust bar, a sprocket traction chain, an idler sprocket mounted on the lever in the rear of the fulcrum and enga ed by the sprocket chain, the pull on sai chain exerting a lifting action on the said idler sprocket and tending to rock the lover, a second sprocket wheel on the lever at a point forward of the fulcrum and exerting a traction pressure aganst the chain in proportion to the pull exerted on the idler sprocket by the chain.

5. A propelling attachment for vehicles, consisting of a tractor unit comprising a traction chain, actuating means for the chain includin a drive sprocket, and means for automation 1y exerting traction pressure on the chain in proportion to the load, said means comprising a vertically rocking lever, a sprocket wheel mounted on an arm of said lever and engaged by the chain, and a traction sprocket movable with the other arm of the lever and exerting traction pressure on the chain.

6. A propelling attachment for vehicles, consisting of a tractor unit comprising a traction chain, actuating means for the chain including a drive sprocket, and means for automatically exerting traction pressure on the chain in proportion to the load, said means comprisin a vertically rocking lever, a sprocket whee mounted on an arm sprocket wheels on the lever having a sliding movement relatively to the lever.

7. A propelling attachment for vehicles, comprising a thrust bar, a means to secure it to the vehicle, a lever supported on the thrust bar to have a bodily vertical movement and f-ulcrumed intermediate its ends to have a rocking moven int on the said fulcrum in addition to the bodily movement, a driven traction chain, and members on the respective arms of the mentioned lever, one of said members being engaged by said chain and responsive to the pull strain and the other of said members exerting traction pressure'on the said chain.

8. In a tractor unit, the combination with a driven traction chain, of a lever, a support on which the lever is mounted to have a bodily vertical movement, means for connecting the said support with the vehicle, the lever being fulcrumed intermediate its ends to have rocking movement in addition to the bodily movement, and members on the respective arms of the. lever, one of said members being engaged by said chain and responsive to the pull strain thereon and the other of said members exerting a tract-ion pressure on the chain.

A propelling attachment for vehicles, consisting of a tractor unit comprising a bar adapted for connection with a vehicle to have up and down movement thereon, and traction devices carried by the bar, said traction devices including a driven traction chain, and a traction-increasing means for exerting pressure on the mentioned bar.

10. A propelling attachment for vehicles, consisting of a tractor unit comprising a bar adapted for connection with a vehicle, traction devices carried by the bar and exerting the propelling force thereof against the bar, said traction devices including a traction chain and actuatingumeans therefor, and a manually-controlled traction-increasing means for exerting pressure on the bar.

11. A propelling attachment for vehicles, consisting of a tractor unit comprising a bar adapted for connection with a vehicle, traction devices carried by the bar and exerting the propelling force thereof against the bar, said traction devices including a traction chain and actuatin means therefor, and a manually-control ed traction-increasing means for exerting pressure on the bar, the said traction-increasing means including a compression spring pressing on said bar, and arms adapted to bear against said springs and press the same.

12. A propelling attachment for vehicles, comprising a thrust bar having means at its front end tofreely suspend it from a vehicle for vertically rocking movement, traction devices including a lever hung be tween its ends on the free end of the bar to rock thereon, a traction chain, a drive sprocket for the chain, and sprocket Wheels mounted on the opposite ends of the lever and engaged by the chain, the said traction devices exerting the propelling force thereof against the mentioned bar.

13. In a propelling attachment for vehicles, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its, ends, means for mounting the lever on a vehicle, a driven sprocket chain, sprocket wheels mounted on the arms of the lever and engaging the chain, and guide shoes between the sprockets and beneath which the chain is guided, said shoes having longitudinal sliding movement on the lever.

14. In a propelling attachment for vehicles, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends, means for mounting the lever on a vehicle, a driven sprocket chain, sprocket wheels mounted on the arms of the lever and engaging the chain, guide shoes between the sprockets and beneath which the chain is uided, said shoes being movable longitudinally of the lever, and guide members carried by the lever and with which the shoes have forward and backward sliding engagement.

15. A propelling attachment for vehicles, consistin of a tractor unit comprising a rocking dever fulcrumed intermediate its ends, means for supporting thelever from a vehicle said means comprising a pivotally mounted bar on whichthe lever is mounted, a driven tractor chain,' a sprocket on one end of the lever and on which the chain has a tendency to exert a lifting pressure, a sliding frame on the opposite end of the lever, means for supporting said sliding frame from the pivotally mounted bar, a traction sprpcket mounted on said sliding frame, and guide devices supported on said frame and beneath which the lower run of the chain passes.

16. A propelling consisting of a tractor unit, comprising a thrust bar adapted for attachment to a vehicle, a lever fulcrumed to rock on said thrust bar,'a sprocket Wheel carried by one end of said lever a slide on the other end of said lever, a sprocket wheel on said slide, and means for supporting said slide from the thrust bar independently of the lever.

17. In a tractor unit, the combination of sprocket wheels, a sprocket chain running around said wheels, and guiding means for the chain, said chain comprising links and rollers adapted to engage the sprocket wheels, said links carrying blocks provided with traction members, sald blocks ranging at each side of the chain rollers, and the said guide devices including rollers contacting with the said blocks at the sides of-the chain rollers.

18. In a traction unit, a driven sprocket chain, and a guiding means for the chain,

attachment for vehicles,

the said chain comprising links, and blocks supported by the links and provided with shoes having traction members on the under side, and the said guiding means including a roller beneath which the shoe-carrying blocks of the chain have movement, and a shoe supported adjacent to the said roller.

19. A tractor unit comprising a driven traction chain, s rocket wheels engaging said chain, one 0' said sprocket wheels being movable relatively to the other, and side fenders fromed in sections movable relatively to each other in response to a relative movement of the mentioned sprocket wheels.

20. A propelling attachment for vehicles, comprising athrust bar pivotally hung at a point forward of its rear end to permit up and down movement on its pivot, a vertlcally rocking lever fulcrumed on said thrust bar at a point rearward of the pivot of the thrust bar, a sprocket traction chain, an

idler s rocket mounted on the lever in the rear 0 the fulcrum and engaged by the sprocket chain, the pull on said chain exerting a lifting action on the said idler and tending to rock the lever, a second sprocket wheel on the lever at a point forward of the fulcrum and exerting a traction pressure against the chain in proportion to the pull exerted on the idler sprocket by the chain, and guiding devices on the lever beneath which the chain has guided movement between the mentioned sprocket wheels carried by the said lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS FERDINAND STADIG Witnesses:

W. J. RoBBINs, M. 'l. NADEAU. 

